Apparatus for cleaning wire rod



July I7-, 1962 s. l.. sTALsoN 3,044,098

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WIRE ROD Original Filed June 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 UER/CANT BOX 5 0/E WATERW n P /V E1s-' :L

WA-/Ef? A/R DRYER PMs- E WATER Q 1g a 18! STA/VLH L. srALso/v llorney July 17, 1962 s. L. sTALsoN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WIRE ROD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed June 2, 1959 INVENTOR STANLEY .STALS/V Aflomey 3,044,698 APPARATUS FR CLEANING WRF. RGD

United StatesPatent C) rice Stanley L. Stalson, West Richeld, Ohio, assig'nor to` United States Steel Corporation, a corporation 'of New .iersey y Griginal application June 2, 1959, Ser. No. 817,520. Divided and this application Dec. 17, 1959, Ser. No.

4 Claims. (c1. ls-saz) This invention relates to wire drawing and, in particular, to apparatus `for cleaning mechanically descaled wire rod preparatory to drawing.

This is a division from my copending .application Serial No. 817,520, 'led Iune 2, 1959.

Wire -rod as it comes from the hot-rolling mills, has a heavy coat of scale thereon. It is now common to remove this scale byfmechanical descalers instead of piel;- ling. Typical descalers are shown in Patents l2,730,791 and 2,874,45-1. While such devices are eiecti-ve in fragmenting and detaching the heavy scale layer, the rod after passing through them has considerable iineuoxide dust adhering thereto. This dust contaminates the drawing lubricant when the rod is passed therethrough -before entering the reducing dies and also causes rapid wear of the dies'. It is accordingly the object of my invention to provide apparatus for cleaning wire rod by thoroughly removing the dust normally adherent thereto after mechanical descaling.

In a preferred practice, I subject the descaled rod to the action of a series of high-velocity converging jets of water through which the rod is drawn axially, and then to the action of a similar series of air jets for removing adherent water and effecting nal drying. The apparatus I have invented comprises an elongated chamber through which -the rod is drawn continuously. The chamber is preferably located between the descaler and the lubricant box and die. A barrel mounted in the chamber in alinement with the path of the rod has nozzle means therein adapted to discharge a series of high-velocity converging tubular water jets onto the exterior of the rod. The chamber has similar means for delivering a series of high-velocity converging jets of air along the rod immediately adjacent the surface thereof.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment. In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a diagrammatic illustration of the method of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section th-rough the washer and dryer;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse section therethrough taken along the plane of line III-III of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an axial section through one of the nozzle means.

Referring now in detail to FIGURE l, I unwind wire rod from a coil thereof by means of a suitable payoif reel. From the reel, the rod passes through a mechanical descaler 11 which may Ibe of the type shown in either of the patents mentioned above. Next, the descaled wire is drawn through a washer and dryer 12 shown more fully in FIGURES 2 and 3 and described in detail hereinafter. Device 12 serves to'clean dust from the rod by a series of high-velocity water jets converging on the rod and conforming closely thereto. It also removes the adhering water and thoroughly dries the rod by a plurality of air jets converging thereon and conform` ing closely thereto.

On emerging from the device 12, the rod enters the Y 3,044,098 n Patented July 17, 1962 2 lubricant box'13, passes through a reducing die therein and is wound up on a drawing block 14 which provides the tension necessary to pull the rod through apparatus units 11, 12 and 13. The effect of device 12 is to remove all dust clinging to the rod after descaling, and to dry it completely before it enters the lubricant box. As a result, the rod entering box 13 is not only fully descaled i spaced relation Ato plate 15 and serve to support a cylindrical housing or chamber 17 thereon. A vent -pipe 18 extending upwardly through a hole in base 15 taps into housing 17 on the lower side thereof. Housing 17 has caps 19 and 19' screwed on the endsv thereof provided with entry and exit ports 20 therein permitting the passage of rod 21 from left to right therethrough. The entry end of the chamber is counterbored to receive spaced plugs 22 and 23 fitting snugly therein. 'The plugs have centralpassagestherethrough which are counterbored to receive mating male and female plugs 24 and 25, respectively., .Plug 24 is counterbored at its entrance end to receive a guide bushing 24a. An air inlet 26 taps into chamber 17 vbetween plugs 22 and 23. 'I'he discharge end of plug 24 is yfrusto-conical and has 'grooves` 24b therein. discharged onto the rod converging thereon vand conforming` closely thereto, in the direction of its travel. The function of this conical or converging air stream will become apparentlater.

nadia-1 holes 27 and 27 spacesaieng the'iengrh of chamber 17 on the upper side thereof are counterbored to form seats for nuts 28 and 28 welded to nipples 29 and 29 inserted through said holes. The nipples are screwed into bushings 30 and 30' welded to a barrel 31 in alinement, respectively, with radial holes 32 therein. The outer ends of the nipples are connected to a source of Water under suitable pressure. A drain pipe 33 extending downwardly through ventpi-pe 18 is screwed into a collar 34 Welded to the lower side of barrel 31 in alinement with a radial hole 35 therethrough.

Barrel 31 has caps 36 and 36 screwed on the ends thereof, each cap having a central passage 37 'for guiding rod through the barrel. The ends of the barrel are counterbored at 38 and 38T to receive an assembly of plugs 39, 4l) and 39', 40 identical with plugs 24 and 25, having a `guide bushing 39a in the entrance end. The pressure of the water source creates converging jets of water flowing from the grooves in the frusto-conical portion of plug 39. These jets together form a high-velocity stream converging on the rod in the direction of its travel. This stream electively dislodges and washes away all dust remaining on the rod.

The duplicate assembly of plugs 39 and 40 at the exit end of the barrel creates jets forming an opposed converging stream of water which equalizes the pressure in l the barrel 31 and balances the velocity of ow from plug rapidly to rethat in which the rod is moving. This stream wipes the` rod closely and thoroughly removes all water left thereon by its passage through the streams discharged between ,plugs 39 and 40 and between plugs 39 and 40. The air stream discharged through the grooves 24h of plug 24 sealsthe entrance end of the chamber against These grooves cause air jets to be A Y the outilow of'fnwater andb'alances stream'v from grooves 24h ofqglugk 24'.. 'IhelQW-pres pipe 18.

, plugs-24 and 2S, `24 and 25' was; 716. from l/i" to 5/5", the diameter of the passages is Por a rod speed of 275 fpm., the air .for drying-should 3 be -under a pressure of 90 p.s.i. .A Water pressure of 20 sure air in chamber 17 is vented tothe atmosphere through Upon emergingifrorn th'ewaslierand dryer, the rodV enters the lubricant box 13 free from scale'dust and ini a.

the pressure of that y 4 1. Apparatus Yfor cleaning-wirerod comprising atuhe cornpletely'dryv state. It is thenV ydrawn through a reduc" l l ing'die in the box and Wound upon block 14.

In av specific example, for. rod from 5 :gage to 1/4', the minimumiinside diameter of 'the passages' through For rod sizes p.s.i..wiil suice for the cleaning stream. n 1 'f In addition to freeing the rod from scalerdust, the invention has the'further advantage that its k dryingfunc- .tion permits immediate processing of rod which` has become Wet asa resultrof outdoor storage. Heretofore, it

was necessary,l before mechanical ,descaling to subject g such rod to a long drying treatment so it could =be vprocessed successfully. My invention, however, effectively removes all Water from the'r'od after descaling and Washing and can therefore be used for rod which is wet initially as Well as it can for dry rod. i

The invention has the `furtheradvantages that it is low incostand is Very compact. The invention may also be used with advantage in the.

For that purpose, a cleaning solution Vor` special solvent will be vsupplied through connections 29 and 29.

cleaning of finished Wire.

Although I have disclosed herein the preferred em- `Dodiment'ofY my invention, I intend to cover as Well any Y change or'modication therein which may be made -with out departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

a capron each end of said tube removably 'confining one of said'plugs.v Y Y M 4v Y l "4. Apparatus'as defined in claimfgl, characterized by one of saidplugshaving an axial bore lin one lend thereof l and a guide bushings'eated in said bore outwardly ofthe nozzle.

'UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,930,575 Wynd et a1. oct.' 17-1933 2,194,565 Y Moss Mar. 26,1940 2,360,097 Biaithis et a1. oct. 10,1944 2,364,752 Rayburn c Dec. 12, 1944 2,379,161 Kraps .v. June 2.6, 1945 2,536,208 Nystrom .V 'V `lan. 2,v 1951 2,539,315 Murphy 1211123, 1951 2,584,043 oberly Jan. 29, v1952 2,586,800 Eivin et a1. Feb. 26, 11952 2,804,196

References Cited inthe lille ofthis patent A y Y 'l Planett Aug, 27, 1957 

